Tips to Go Green on Earth Day & U.S. Cellular’s Trade-In Program

I consider myself a pretty “green” person. As a matter of fact it’s the reason I started blogging several years ago. While I’m certainly not the greenest person you’ll ever meet, I’d like to think I do my part by recycling, carrying a reusable water bottle, and buying very little paper products. There is certainly room for improvement, but I’m pretty happy with the steps my family takes on a daily basis to care for the environment and make it a better, cleaner place for the future grandchildren I hope to have someday. That reminds me. Did you know that tomorrow is Earth Day? I’m not really a huge fan of days set aside to raise awareness or bring attention to certain causes or movements, but I can appreciate they are a good place to start, especially for someone who wants to take baby steps toward making the world around them a better place.

In honor of Earth Day 2014, U.S. Cellular encourages people to recycle their old electronic devices and is providing incentives to do so. Customers can get up to $250 when they trade in qualified smartphones, including Apple® iPhones, at U.S. Cellular retail locations through the company’s Trade-In Program.

Statistics on the numbers of electronics that are not being recycled are sobering; of the 141 million mobile phones that were discarded in 2009 (the most recent data available), only 12 million were recycled, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Thirty percent of people who do not recycle their used cell phones refrain from doing so because they don’t know where to recycle their devices, according to an online poll conducted by Earth911.

While recycling old devices is a great way to be green, there are other ways to reduce, reuse and recycle right from the palm of your hand. Here are a few tips, apps, and websites to help you on your way to being a little more eco-friendly.

I really like Recyclebank.com and have actually been a member for a few years. The website provides tips and advice to become more environmentally aware and members even earn reward points that can be redeemed for grocery discounts, and gift cards just for doing simple everyday eco-friendly tasks.

Download the 1800Recycling app to easily find recycling locations based on the ZIP code you enter, get directions to the recycling centers and even learn which materials they’ll accept.

I have been a member of my local Freecycle website for quite some time, so I’m pleased to see they also offer a Freecycle app that allows users to give away their unwanted but reusable stuff to others in their local community who can use the items. Simply post items to give away or make requests for items you need using this convenient app.

So tell me. Do you have any plans for Earth Day? What’s your favorite way to show your love for the environment? It could be something as small as owning a reusable water bottle or something as major as composting, but regardless everything makes a difference no matter how big or small the step you take.

Happy Earth Day Everyone!

This post is part of an ongoingcompensated relationship I have with U.S. Cellular, but opinions are always my own.